


a kiss to remember

by newtmazer



Category: The Maze Runner (2014), The Maze Runner RPF
Genre: Almost Kiss, First Kiss, M/M, Off Set, On Set, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 16:43:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2857763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newtmazer/pseuds/newtmazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Thomas really wasn't able to tell if the tension flickering in the air was between himself and Dylan, or Newt and Thomas. Sometimes there really was no telling.</p>
<p>Like, for example, right now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a kiss to remember

**Author's Note:**

> Basically this story is just my silly interpretation of the legendary almost kiss, of the few events leading to that and what happened after.
> 
> This is for my wonderful friend, Sini (@runnerobrien on twitter), without whom I never would've written this.
> 
> Enjoy!

*.*.*

The familiar sound of the alarm pierced the silence of the hotel room. A hand sneaked out from under the soft blanket, searching for a phone on the bedside table haphazardly until it found what it was looking for – knocking the phone to the ground with a crash.

”God damn it!”

Thomas growled as he blinked his eyes open, throwing the suffocating blanket away and leaning over the side of the bed, narrowing his eyes as he spotted the still beeping device before snatching it from the floor. He checked quickly that the bloody phone was still intact and swiped the alarm finally off.

Sighing, he put the phone back to the table and settled back on the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes and trying to will his tired body to wake up properly.

Memories of last night suddenly flashed through Thomas's mind and he felt a smile tugging at his lips. After yet another long, sweaty and unforgettable day of shooting The Maze Runner, the cast had spent yet another cozy evening relaxing together. They had done that every single night since the shooting started, just hanging out, getting to know each other and having the time of their lives. They all got on incredibly well and the cast was already like a family to each other.

Last night they had been gathered in one of the comfy lounge rooms their hotel had to offer. They had been watching TV, eating pizza and just joking around as usual, splayed on the soft couches, armchairs and pillows spread on the floor. After all the pizza had disappeared from the boxes and the last of the coke bottles had been drained, Ki Hong had been tossing one of the bottles from one hand to the other until he had suddenly come up with an idea and suggested a round of Truth or Dare.

Thomas's breath hitched in his chest and his heart started to pound hard against his ribs as a vivid flashback took over him.

*.*.*

_The good-humoured chatter filled the softly-lit room. Thomas was resting on one of the couches, smiling and laughing at some stupid story Blake was currently telling. Dylan was sitting beside him, leaning his back to the couch in a relaxed manner, his arms spread over the back of the couch. They were sitting quite closely since Kaya was stuffed on the couch as well on the other side of Dylan._

_Ki Hong was sitting on a nearby armchair, leaning his elbows to his knees and tossing the empty coke bottle around in his hands, listening to Blake intently. Suddenly Dylan burst out laughing beside Thomas, a loud, wonderful sound that Thomas was unable to resist and ended up cracking up too as Blake finally got to the best part of the story yet and soon everyone was losing it for good. After a while the laughter finally died out and for a moment it was almost peaceful save for some people chatting a bit afar._

_Then Ki Hong snapped his fingers and a wide grin spread over his face._

_”You know what, let's try out the good old Truth or Dare!” the black-haired boy exclaimed._

_Excited voices erupted almost immediately. Thomas groaned inwardly as he glanced around the room as almost everyone seemed to be up for the game._

_”Sounds like a plan, dude!” Dylan grinned, clapping his hands together and leaning forward on the couch. Kaya giggled beside him, excitement shining in her eyes._

_”Yeah, let's play!” she said, nodding along._

_Ki Hong glanced around the smiling faces and excited chatter, smug. ”Excellent! Let's clear out the floor, shall we?”_

_The others started to push the furniture to the side, forming a wide clear space in the middle of the room. Kaya was up immediately, throwing the pillows of the couch to the ground. Dylan and Thomas rose up not soon behind._

_”Let's get this thing out of the way, yeah?” Dylan asked, smiling and elbowing Thomas lightly._

_”Sure,” Thomas answered, leaning over to grab the other end of the couch as Dylan lifted the other up. Together they moved it near the wall in no time._

_The others had already formed a circle of people in the middle of the room as Dylan and Thomas returned, finding a place for two between Dexter and Chris. They sat down, and the game could commence._

_Ki Hong set the bottle to the ground before him and spun it eagerly. Thomas fixed his gaze on the spinning bottle until it started to slow down and he watched with growing horror as the bottleneck slowly but surely turned to point straight at himself._

_”Well well well, look at that! Our very own Thomas got the honour of opening the round!” Ki Hong smirked as the other boys cheered and snickered. Thomas rolled his eyes._ Just my luck, _he thought darkly. He glanced at Dylan who winked at him, grinning widely._

_”So, Thomas, what will it be? Truth or Dare?” Ki Hong mused, tapping his chin and raising his eyebrows suggestively._

_”Let's go with a Truth,” Thomas murmured, shrugging. There was a chorus of groans of disappointment. Guys were traditionally more eager after Dares instead of Truths. Thomas, however, didn't feel like getting his ass pummeled first._

_”Nah, whatever you say, dude. Hmm.. Let's see..” A small crease appeared between Ki Hong's eyebrows as the boy put his brain to work. After a while, he straightened up, smiling. ”Okay, I'll go easy on you since you're the first after all. Tell us, who do you trust most in this room? Excluding yourself, of course.”_

_All eyes were on Thomas as the blonde-haired boy frowned, considering the question carefully. He realised that in a way, he actually trusted all these guys in the room. They had all grown to be close friends over the last weeks, spending all of their time together. That automatically meant you'd learn one thing or another about each other. The cast of The Maze Runner was absolutely one of the best he had ever worked with._

_But who did he trust the most? Thomas raised his gaze from the floor before him and met a few glances directed at himself. Ki Hong? Will? Aml? Soon, however, the answer came to him._

_”Well, guys, you know I think you're all pretty awesome and I do trust you, but I must say, of this lot,” Thomas said, glancing at his left and meeting Dylan's eyes, ”I trust Dylan here the most.” Few mock-complaints were heard but Thomas shut them out as Dylan suddenly raised his arm, clapping Thomas affectionately at his back._

_”Aw, man, means a lot,” Dylan smiled at him, putting a hand over his own heart. ”I trust you too, buddy.”_

_Thomas couldn't help but laugh and Dylan joined him, squeezing his shoulder quickly before pulling his arm back._

_”Well, must say I'm a bit offended now,” Ki Hong quipped as he tossed the bottle to Thomas._

_”Yeah, yeah, whatever, shank,” Thomas said, grabbing the bottle and sending it spinning before him._

_The bottle slowed down again, this time pointing at Will opposite Thomas. Will looked eager, gesturing at Thomas to shoot the question._

_”Truth or Dare?” Thomas asked._

_”Dare for sure!” Will grinned, crossing his arms and looking at Thomas with anticipation on his face._

_”Okay, then..” Thomas mumbled, thinking. Soon he met Will's gaze again, having come up with a Dare. ”I dare you to proclaim your undying devotion to the next person who walks into this room.”_

_Loud laughter ensued. Thomas grinned, smug, as Will burst out laughing as well._

_”Wait, do you mean that if I go out of this room and then come back, Will runs to me and kneels before me, kissing my feet and declaring I'm his true love?” Dylan asked, highly amused._

_”No, it has to be a non-player,” Thomas clarified._

_”Oh,” Dylan sighed, disappointed._

_”Ok, I can do that,” Will chuckled, shaking his head a bit, still amused. ”Throw the bottle to me, then.”_

_Thomas threw the bottle into the air and Will caught it easily and spun it again on the floor. This time it settled on Kaya._

_Will rubbed his palms eagerly against each other and started to ask his question, only to be cut off by Kaya._

_”Truth or-”_

_”Dare!”_

_The boys snickered as Will rolled his eyes. Then he let out an evil laugh as an idea hit him immediately._

_”I dare you to log in Twitter, then hand me your phone and let me tweet anything I want in your account,” Will declared._

_Thomas burst out laughing with others as Kaya's mouth hung open and she stared at Will, exasperated._

_”That's not fair!” Kaya pouted. ”I know you will embarrass me beyond repair.”_

_”Oh come on, don't be such a girl, Kaya!”_

_”But I am a girl!”_

_The two of them quarreled for a while before Kaya gave up and handed Will her phone. Will looked as if Christmas had come early for him, sniggering to himself._

_Suddenly there was a gentle poke on Thomas' ribs.”You seem to quite enjoy the game, after all,” Dylan murmured, smiling widely at him. Thomas shrugged, smiling crookedly._

_”It has its perks,” he admitted._

_Will returned Kaya's phone and after the girl had stared at the screen of her phone for few long seconds, she burst out in uncontrollable giggles._

_Will stared at her, dumbfounded. ”What's so bloody funny? I thought you'd be crying or at least begging for me at this point,” he asked in surprise._

_”_ 'I wanna see One Direction live!!!!' _” Kaya managed before she lost it again. ”Honestly, Will, that's the best you can come up with? I'm ashamed. Especially because it's actually true!”_

_”WHAT?” Will shouted, utterly horrified. ”You can't be serious!”_

_”Of course I am!”_

_It took a while before the laughter and debate died out, but soon it was time to spin the bottle again. Thomas was ready to curse his luck again until the bottle turned just a bit to point at the person next to him, straight at Dylan._

_”YES!” Kaya giggled, seemingly excited. ”Truth or Dare, Dylan?”_

_”Uhoh..” Dylan wailed, pretending to be scared and gnawing on his fingernails. ”Let's go with a Dare, anyway.”_

_”Excellent choice!” Kaya grinned, pondering her Dare of choice for a while. Thomas glanced at Dylan, a small smile playing on his lips._

_Soon Kaya's eyes lit up and she giggled. ”Watch this, Will, I'll show you how you Dare people properly.” She turned to Dylan again. ”Dylan, I dare you to spin the bottle and kiss whoever the bottle stops to point at!”_

_Dylan covered his face with his hands, bending forward as the boys howled in laughter around him. Thomas's heart did a weird little jump in his chest at Kaya's words._

_”Come on, Dyl, don't be the one to give up!” Kaya scolded._

_Dylan straightened up, retrieving his hands finally. ”I'm not giving up, I just wonder where the hell do you come up with these ideas.. Oh, fuck it,” he shook his head and grabbed the bottle, holding it against the ground, breathing in and out before sending it to spin._

_Time itself seemed to slow down as Thomas stared at the bottle intently, as it spun, spun, spun.. and halted to a stop, pointing at no one else but himself._

_Thomas's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the bottle for long seconds as the blood rushed in his veins and he didn't really register the few catcalls and laughter that ensued. After what felt like minutes, but was in fact only seconds, Thomas finally lifted his gaze, slowly turning his head to his left and noting the faint blush on the other boy's cheeks._

_Dylan shook his head, swiping his hand through his hair. He let out a bit uneasy laugh, clearly trying to play it with humour. ”Oh god.. Um- So.. you up for it, then?” the younger boy asked, meeting Thomas's eyes._

_Thomas found his voice, surprising himself. ”Yeah, well, it's a bloody Dare, after all,” he noted, trying to quirk the corners of his mouth up, managing a small, shaking smile. ”I wouldn't risk Kaya's revenge if you actually declined.”_

_”Yeah- yeah, good point,” Dylan mumbled, grinning._

_”Do it, Dyl! Or it will be exactly as Thomas said, my revenge will be unlike any other you've ever-”_

_Kaya's words were cut off as the door to the room opened suddenly. Everyone's attention was focused on Wes as he stepped into the room._

_”Hi guys! I figured I'd find you here- wait,” Wes started, a happy smile on his face which turned quickly into a frown. ”Did I interrupt something?”_

_Suddenly Will bolted up. ”Oh, oh, Wes Ball, my one true love! Oh, I have waited you for so long, my darling!” Will wailed in a heartbreakingly broken voice. He rushed to stand in front of the utterly flabbergasted Wes, taking hold of his hand and falling to his knees before their director as the man slowly but surely turned red._

_”Oh, my only sunshine, you have no idea how much I love and respect you! You are the light of my life and the saviour of my soul! I have never loved anyone in my life as I love you, and always will, till death do us apart!”_

_Will's sudden outburst was drowned under a tide of laughter as the players lost it for good. Will tried his best to keep a straight face but was soon cracking up himself and the horrified look on Wes's face slowly started to subside as the man connected the dots._

_”Oh, I see! Who's brilliant idea was this, then?” Wes inquired, not quite managing to keep the amused smile from his face._

_Dylan snatched Thomas's wrist and raised his arm high up in the air, not meeting Thomas's eyes, pretending not to notice. Thomas let out another happy laugh, trying to pull his hand free. Finally Dylan looked back at him and couldn't help his mask slipping away and being replaced by laughter._

_”Very funny, Thomas, very funny,” Wes quipped, shaking his head. ”I see you guys are having quite a quality time here together again. Anyway, I actually had a reason to my sudden appearance. If I could steal Dylan for a moment?”_

_”Me? Oh, sure,” Dylan said, glancing quickly at Thomas next to him._

_”Noo! Dylan was just about to complete a Dare!” Kaya complained._

_”I'm sorry but it'll have to wait. I really need to speak to him.”_

_There was some complaining still from Kaya's part, but in the end Dylan rose from the floor. ”Sorry guys, see you later!” he grinned, making his way through the room after Wes. At the door he stopped for a second, turned his head around and met Thomas's eyes, flashing a small smile at him._

_After the door closed after Dylan, the room was filled with chatter for good five minutes until they decided to just continue the game without Dylan. Thomas, however, found himself pretty much distracted and not really paying attention to the game anymore. After maybe half an hour, his phone and others' as well buzzed with a new text message. Dylan had messaged them all in their own WhatsApp group._

”wrap up the game without me, this thing with wes will take ages. see y'all tomorrow! ;)”

_The game didn't go on for long after that, and the unfinished Dare wasn't mentioned again._

*.*.*

Unsurprisingly that one specific, unfinished Dare was still lingering in the back of Thomas's mind. He wondered if others, especially Kaya, would demand on completing it sooner or later. He wondered if he should just laugh it off and get over it.

But then again, how could he just ignore that kind of suggestion and just pretend nothing happened? Could anyone?

Because the truth was, now that the idea of kissing Dylan had been planted in his head, he couldn't shake it. He couldn't help his thoughts from slipping to what might've happened if Wes hadn't showed up just then. Thomas was pretty positive they would've actually went for it without the interruption, and the thought itself made his pulse quicken inexplicably.

Sighing, he finally rose up to a sitting position, sweeping his hand over his face while shaking his head. He had already gone too far. Dylan and he were _friends_ , nothing more, nothing less. Even if they were to complete the Dare later, what could one simple kiss change? One stupid, little kiss wouldn't be such a big deal, now would it?

The blonde-haired boy growled, standing up from the bed and heading for shower. Nevermind his inner struggle, they had a movie to film, after all.

*.*.*

An hour later Thomas made his way out of his hotel room, having ordered breakfast to his room and eaten it in peace. The Maze Runner team was supposed to meet up downstairs and head off for the set together by bus, as usual. Today, though, Thomas was running late. He had wasted a surprisingly long time daydreaming without checking the time often enough.

He ran to the nearest elevator and pushed the button to call it up. Luckily it was already on his floor and the doors opened immediately. Thomas sighed heavily and dashed in, just about to push the button to the 1st floor as he heard a voice yelping somewhere along the corridor.

”Whoa, dude, wait up!”

Thomas's breath hitched in his chest as he recognized the owner of the voice. He stepped forward, putting his foot between the closing elevator doors and forcing them to open up again. He raised his gaze to approaching Dylan and stepped aside as the boy rushed in, panting only slightly from effort.

”Thanks, mate! God, we're so late!” Dylan said, taking hold of Thomas's shoulder and bending over a bit to catch his breath.

”I thought Runners didn't lose their breath while running one corridor down, hm?” Thomas asked, amused. Dylan straightened up, shoving him a little.

”Ouch, you wound me,” Dylan whined but his smile betrayed him.

They were quiet for a little while as Thomas pushed the button to take them down.

Thomas cleared his throat a little. ”So, what took you so long last night? What was Wes up to?” He tried to be as nonchalant as possible, willing his ridiculous pulse to calm down.

”Ah, well, he just had a lot of stuff to go through with me, about some scenes we did yesterday and some CGI stuff.. Oh and he asked me to tell you there's a slight change in plans today,” Dylan added, sneaking a quick glance at Thomas.

Thomas raised his eyebrows a bit. ”Yeah? What kind of change?”

”Well, you know that scene where Newt and Thomas are gonna have a bit of a bonding by the bonfire? The one we were gonna shoot next weekend? Well, we're shooting it tonight.”

”Oh,” Thomas uttered, blinking his eyes in surprise just as the elevator arrived at the right floor with a nice click, the doors sliding open. ”Well, sure, that's fine by me.”

They stepped out of the elevator together and spotted their friends outside the glass windows of the hotel, clearly waiting for them. Thomas sighed in relief alongside Dylan. They glanced at each other, grinning.

”Okay, good. Looking forward to the night, then,” Dylan said, smiling and winking at Thomas quickly before stepping outdoors before him and turning to greet the others, apologizing for being so late.

If Thomas's heart made a little jump at Dylan's words, it wasn't anything to worry about, right?

*.*.*

The day went on surprisingly fast. As the afternoon light started to fade into twilight, the fires and torches were lit here and there.

Thomas walked around the Glade, lost in his thoughts, his heart pounding in his chest. He had tried his best to keep his mind from wandering while he was working but he had noticed that if he had even the shortest time to just sit around without the work to concentrate on, his defences had been crumbling. They had already shot some group scenes together by the fire and were now granted a little break before it was time for _the scene_.

The bonfire scene was one of the scenes Thomas had actually been looking forward to shooting. It would be quite a meaningful moment for both the characters, Newt and Thomas. Newt would act as a calming presence Thomas could lean into while he was confused out of his mind after arriving to this whole new environment without his memories. Newt had always been one of the most approachable Gladers and played an important role in getting the new Greenies to adapt to their new lives in the Glade. Newt had certain calmness within himself that was only beneficial when dealing with the more or less frightened Greenies. But Newt had his limits too, and luckily there were a variety of boys with different tempers in the Glade so that in the end every Greenie would find their own place in their small community.

Thomas however, wasn't a typical Greenie that would just swallow everything without questioning and doubting things first. He had this thirst of knowledge inside him that got everyone around him on their toes. Newt found himself pretty drawn to this new Greenie, and it was important for him to make Thomas feel like he belonged.

These were all the things they had gone through in various conversations with Wes, James and all the other people interested in the characters and their character development. Thomas knew his character and could often find himself relating to Newt in more ways than one. It was a huge priviledge and something that actors couldn't always afford. When it came to acting, it had always been important for Thomas that he could find something in common with the character he played. Newt, as a role, was as if made for him.

Thomas shook himself out of his thoughts again, figuring that five minutes had already passed and they would be continuing at any moment. He returned to the group still lingering near the fire and smiled at his friends as he passed them. He snatched the small bottle of Gally's drink Newt was to offer to Thomas and took a piece of grilled meat in a stick to occupy himself with. Thomas turned around and started to make his way to the log where the scene was decided to be shot. As he neared it, he spotted two familiar figures there.

Dylan had already taken his spot, sitting on the ground, his back against the bark of the tree. Beside him was Blake, sitting on the log and deep in conversation with Dylan.

Thomas bit his lip, his stomach turning into knots for no reason he could figure out at the moment. He approached the two boys from behind, holding the bottle in one hand and a wooden stick on the other.

Suddenly Dylan's head turned around and he spotted Thomas and waved his hand at him, smiling. Thomas nodded in acknowledgement, raising the hand that held the bottle. As he arrived to the log, he crouched slightly, taking a bite of the meat and stepped over the log, sitting down between the narrow space between Dylan and Blake. His arm brushed against Dylan's as he settled to a sitting position, munching on the piece of meat and greeting the suddenly silenced boys, ”Hey, guys!”

”Hey, you took your time getting here, didn't you?” Dylan asked him, smiling slightly and shoving him gently by the shoulder.

”Well, I'm here now, aren't I?” Thomas answered, raising his eyebrows and grinning back. Dylan glanced at Blake shortly but brought his eyes back on Thomas soon.

”Yeah, you are,” Dylan mumbled. Then he seemed to mentally gather himself as he shook his head lightly, a small smile back on his lips. Suddenly Blake got up, brushing his clothes with his hands.

”Alright, I'm letting you guys to get ready. See you later!” the curly-haired boy exclaimed, backing away and waving his hand.

”Yeah, sure!”

”See ya!”

They were quiet for a while. Thomas didn't miss the fact how close to each other they were still sitting. Now that Blake was gone, either of them could've shifted away but they stayed where they were, their bodies almost touching.

”So, big scene ahead, huh?” Dylan noted, fiddling with a long blade of grass, avoiding Thomas's eyes.

”Yeah, I guess it is. You ready?” Thomas asked, sneaking a glance at the boy beside him.

Dylan raised his gaze, and their eyes locked. ”Yeah, I'm ready.”

Then there was a rustle of several approaching steps.

”Hey guys! Sorry we're running a bit late, but now everything's sorted out! Let's begin!” Wes exclaimed, smiling excitedly as he arrived with some people of the crew.

Thomas swallowed, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. It was time to act.

*.*.*

Dylan and Thomas were left mostly undisturbed to build up the scene between the two of them. They both knew their lines well and could bring themselves and their characters to the surface quite effortlessly in each other's company. 

The more time passed, the more they seemed to get into it. They were natural with each other, had been since the start. Thomas couldn't help but wonder if it was the characters they played that clicked or if it was just this undeniable chemistry between him and Dylan that could extend even to their acting. Which was kind of incredible, really, since no matter how much resemblance the actor felt towards the character they played, they never were the one and the same. There were always two personalities existing in one body, and as fascinating as it was, it could also be quite problematic in its way.

Sometimes Thomas really wasn't able to tell if the tension flickering in the air was between himself and Dylan, or Newt and Thomas. Sometimes there really was no telling.

Like, for example, right now.

It wasn't all serious devotion to the art of acting between them. Dylan was extremely impulsive and the boy cracked up and laughed more than most people Thomas had met. But it was one of the qualities that made Dylan so unique and approachable, the kind of thing that drew people to him and could make them at ease with him in mere seconds. Dylan was open in so many ways, but the things he showed outside weren't all that he was as a person. There was a whole lot more in him than what the majority of people knew, Thomas had come to realise.

Multiple times, he had found himself easily attuned to Dylan's mood shifts and it really made working with him not only ideal but highly enjoyable, as well. Whenever Dylan lightened up the mood by cracking a more or less inappropriate joke, Thomas found himself laughing with him, never at him.

The bonfire scene was no different. They had their extremely serious, even intense moments, but they had their laughs, too. They had small touches, shifting closer to each other, nervous fiddling and long, locked stares. They had moments when Thomas would say his lines and Dylan would just look at him with his extremely expressive eyes, draw in every word that slipped from Thomas's lips and hang on to them, dying to just know, just as his character would.

But there were also moments when Thomas could swear he witnessed Dylan's gaze shifting lower, if only for a second, and in those moments he could feel his heart beating harder in his chest. There were moments when their eyes would lock for a little too long, and he couldn't remember a thing he was supposed to say but then in a second the words were rolling smoothly from his lips. There were moments when he would avert his eyes as the tension would leave him breathless, trying to cover his utter confusion by stuffing more food into his mouth or taking a sip at the disgusting drink.

And there was this one moment when they both turned their heads to look at each other, Thomas still chewing on the small piece of meat he had just bitten. Dylan looked at him and offered him a small, genuine smile which Thomas could see the boy suppressed and he could swear he saw something shifting in those hazel brown eyes, if only for a second. As Dylan's smile faltered, his gaze lowered to Thomas's lips and he inched closer. Thomas felt a shiver running down his spine as his instincts took over him and he started to lean in as well, his brain shutting down completely as his own eyes descended on the other boy's mouth. His jaw stopped chewing as he swallowed quickly. Dylan was leaning in fully and there were only inches between them anymore as ever so slightly, Thomas parted his lips and his eyelids started to flutter closed.

Dylan was so close, his breath tickling Thomas's lips and from the smallest crack between his eyelids just as he was about to close them, Thomas could see Dylan parting his own lips but it was only a second before the boy lost his composure, a wide grin spreading over his lips as a laugh escaped his throat and a hand appeared to cover his mouth as the boy drew back quickly. And for the tiniest moment, Thomas couldn't stop his movement and as he leaned in for a second too long he could hear his pulse pounding too loudly in his ears as the time stopped and an irrational, sharp pain seized his heart. Just as quickly, he came back to his senses and fought out of the intense wave of emotions washing over him, refusing to let any of it show on his face as he pulled back as well, his mind responding automatically to Dylan's laugh by joining it. Even if his laugh was forced, luckily the others wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

As Thomas quickly glanced around them – something he normally never did – he could see the whole film crew cracking up in earnest. He shook his head in both amusement and confusion and as he turned back to Dylan, registering only Dylan's slightly flushed face grinning as if nothing unusual had happened, Thomas couldn't shake the hollow feeling growing in his chest.

*.*.*

By the time they had finished shooting for the day, Thomas was full of pent-up tension and he sure as hell needed a break from Dylan's constant company. They had been working together intensely for hours straight and it was finally becoming too much for Thomas to handle. As soon as Wes declared they'd wrap up for the day, Thomas stormed off towards their costume and make-up department in the distance.

Normally, after a day in the set Thomas would just change out of his costume and save the shower for the hotel, but today he really needed a moment of peace and headed straight for showers in the actors' locker rooms, locking the door after him.

As Thomas placed his hands around the sink, leaning over it and closing his eyes, he heard his friends arriving to the locker room, chattering excitedly. Cursing inwardly, Thomas sighed heavily, straightened up and started to strip out of his clothes.

The steady sound of water hitting the tile floor filled the small room and Thomas stepped under the spray, shutting out the sounds drifting from the other room.

His thoughts drifted immediately back to the moment by the fire.

He simply couldn't wrap his mind around what had been going on between him and Dylan there. Obviously it had all been a joke and Thomas already felt more or less stupid for still thinking about it but he just couldn't stop himself.

Thomas hadn't just imagined it all, had he? No, the crew probably had it all taped and they would hear about their almost kiss for the rest of their lives.

Then another thought hit him and it felt like someone had punched the air out of his lungs.

_It was just because of the Dare._

How hadn't the thought crossed his mind until now? What _the hell_ had he been thinking?

Of course it was just because of the Dare. Dylan would never just give up and refuse from a challenge.

Still, the Dare wasn't really completed, now was it? Does an almost kiss count for an actual kiss? Thomas thought it didn't, but after all he wasn't the one who-

_Bloody hell, Thomas, stop right there. You're not a bloody girl, for God's sake!_

Thomas turned off the shower and was engulfed by an utter silence. He frowned as he took the few steps on the tiles, grabbing his towel and swiping it over his face and hair. How long had he been lost in his head again? Judging by the silence, the others had cleared out of the locker room already, heading outside and to wait for the bus to take them back to the hotel.

The blonde-haired boy wrapped the towel around his narrow waist, snatching his clothes from the side table and opening the door to the locker room, stepping over the threshold.

The room in front of him was empty, indeed. Thomas shrugged and walked over to his locker, taking his key from his trouser pocket and opening it. He dried off his damp skin haphazardly and threw on his underwear and jeans he had been wearing earlier. Just as he was fastening the belt around the waist of his jeans, the door to the locker room was thrown open.

Thomas gasped and whirled around, his eyes widening as he spotted Dylan standing there, panting slightly. As Dylan's eyes settled upon Thomas, his stance relaxed visibly and he let out a relieved breath.

Thomas frowned, his hands frozen on his belt. ”Dyl? What's-”

His words died on his lips as Dylan suddenly stepped to the room, threw the door back shut behind him and closed the distance between them in few long strides. Dylan's movements were extremely determined as the boy cupped Thomas's astonished face between his palms and brought their lips together in a bruising kiss.

Thomas's eyes fluttered closed as he felt himself relaxing under Dylan's touch, answering to the kiss and bringing his hands to rest on the boy's shoulders. Something unfurled in the pit of his stomach, sending hot, tingling waves all over his body as Dylan's mouth savoured his own. His tongue swiped over Thomas' lower lip and with a quiet moan his lips parted enough for their tongues to meet. 

The kiss was becoming more and more heated as Thomas buried his other hand to Dylan's hair, the other settling on the dark-haired boy's back, drawing their bodies closer. Just as Thomas started to feel as though the lack of oxygen made him sway on his feet, Dylan drew his lips back, bringing their foreheads together as they panted hot breaths over each other's faces, trying to wrap their minds around what had just happened between them.

Thomas didn't dare to open his eyes until he felt Dylan retreating fully, slipping his hands away from Thomas's face and straightening up. Thomas lowered his own hands from the other boy's body, bringing one of them to swipe through his damp hair, finally raising his gaze and meeting Dylan's eyes.

The other boy just stared at him, suddenly struck speechless.

”What- what was that?” the words slipped past Thomas's lips almost without a conscious thought.

Dylan averted his eyes again, shuffling a bit on his feet before murmuring, ”I-I just had to do it.”

It surprised Thomas how much it hurt to hear those words. ”You _had_ to? What's that supposed to mean?” he growled, unable to keep the slight irritation from his voice.

Dylan raised his eyes quickly, looking panicked for the tiniest moment. ”No, no, not like that! I mean that I- oh, fuck,” Dylan groaned, swiping his hands over his face as a slight blush coloured his cheeks. ”God, I mean that I had to do it because that's all I've been able to think about since yesterday and it was driving me up the wall.”

Thomas was now kind of speechless himself. He blinked, his mouth opening and closing but no words were coming out.

Dylan was looking at him a bit helplessly now, so Thomas figured he really had to get a word or two out.

”You- you're referring to the Dare, right? I-I thought it was already over with considering what happened today at the bonfire scene and all,” Thomas said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Dylan was shaking his head, sighing a bit frustratedly. ”You think I would've just kissed you there in front of all those cameras? Well, I have to admit the thought crossed my mind but in the end.. I just couldn't do it.” Under his breath the boy murmured, ”It was none of their business, anyway.”

Thomas was starting to get really confused here. ”Why? What are you saying?”

”I'm saying that I sure as hell wasn't about to just skip a Dare, and I had to make it look like I wasn't, so I almost kissed you today and that's it, we won't probably hear about it again. But because that wasn't actually the same as completing the Dare, I, well.." Dylan explained, scratching the back of his neck. "I wanted to do it properly,” the boy added, raising his head and locking into Thomas's eyes.

Thomas tried his best to keep up with Dylan's words. He pouted his lips just a bit, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes. ”So.. That kiss.. It was just about the Dare, then?”

Dylan looked him straight in the eyes. A dimple appeared on his other cheek as the boy smiled crookedly. ”Maybe. Maybe not.”

”What's that for an answer, huh?”

Dylan just winked at him in response. Thomas rolled his eyes. ”God, you're such a jerk.”

”Whatever you say,” Dylan said with a singsong voice. His eyes roamed over Thomas's bare chest and the boy swallowed. ”Get yourself dressed, we gotta hurry.”

Thomas groaned. ”Hell, they're waiting for us again, aren't they?”

Dylan just shrugged, snatching his phone from his pocket and checking it. Thomas dressed hurriedly and in a minute they were both at the door, ready to leave. Just as Dylan lowered his hand to the door handle, however, he stopped and turned his head back to look at Thomas behind him. His hazel brown eyes lowered to Thomas's lips and the blonde-haired boy had no time to react as the other boy suddenly leaned forward, placing a quick, soft kiss on his lips before throwing the door open again and stepping out.

Thomas stopped in his tracks, utterly taken aback. His breath hitching in his chest, he touched his tingling lips with his fingers. He couldn't suppress the smile taking over his face as he stepped out of the door after Dylan, hurrying after the boy.

He figured he had gotten his answer, after all.


End file.
